Community Preservation Committee will award initial grants

Mary K. McBride / billerica@wickedlocal.com

Friday

Aug 10, 2018 at 1:40 PMAug 10, 2018 at 1:40 PM

Funds from Billerica’s adoption of the state Community Preservation Act (CPA) will begin to be dispersed at the Fall Town Meeting which begins on Oct. 2. Residents voted to accept the state statute in November 2016, and this will be the Community Preservation Committee (CPC)’s first round of grant funding.

In Billerica the CPA is funded by a 1 percent surcharge on local property taxes, and is supplemented by a match from the state, which comes from Register of Deeds fees on real estate transactions. Most of the initial funding for the awards comes from the surcharge, and this year the CPC has about $1,600,000, two years’ worth of the surcharge accrued. Town Accountant Paul Watson expects that the state match percentage will be announced in late October.

Since its inception in 2000, the state match has varied from a low in the high teens to a high of 100 percent. At present the percentage has not been finalized, as the Legislature continues to vet the state budget, but initial forecasts are in the low teens. Intervention from the legislature in the form of approval of the Governor’s recommendation of an additional $10 million in funding is still in discussion.

Applicants make their case

Applications were due by June 30, and the CPC began to hear presentations from the first of the eight applicants on July 26, in the initial phase of meetings that will continue on Aug. 9 and 23 and conclude with a public hearing on Sept. 6. All meetings will be held at the Billerica Town Hall in Room 110 at 7 p.m. and residents are invited to attend and offer thoughts about the different projects seeking grants. After the public hearings the committee will vote to submit a slate of applications to Fall Town Meeting.

“The Committee is encouraged by the nature and variety of the applications and presentations we’ve heard so far,” Committee Chairman Doug Meagher said.

At the July 26 meeting, CPC members and the audience heard from the first three of eight applicants. CPA funds can be allocated for specific projects that benefit the causes of Community Housing, Historic Preservation and Open Space/Recreation.

Billerica Public Library Local History Librarian Kathy Meagher requested $6,135 for the first of the expected three steps toward proper storage and preservation of the many historic documents the Library owns.

The Billerica Housing Authority’s application seeks $160,00 to be used as seed money toward purchase of an affordable housing unit.

According to BHA Executive Director Robert Correnti, the Housing Authority presently owns and runs 177 units of elderly and non-elderly disabled housing. There is a wait list of several years for this type of housing. The BHA also operates ten units of family housing, with an average wait time of 8 to 10 years. Turnover is extremely slow for families.

The Billerica Historical Society has applied for funding of $76,000 to continue maintenance of their headquarters, the 1723 Clara Sexton House on Concord Road. (This amount may increase slightly in order to add a contingency based on construction standards in the event window installers find some unexpected issues with the project.)

According to President Maria Seminatore, the Historical Society “has a good number of members, but not enough to maintain the house. An active group is trying to create another cultural organization for the Town”.

If approved, the project will start with replacement of the original windows, and proceed to siding, and painting the house.

The next meeting of the Community Preservation Committee will include presentations from the Town of Billerica (Howe School and Bike Path), and the Middlesex Canal Association (Can Museum). The meeting is on Thursday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. in Room 110 of Town Hall. All residents are welcome to attend.